BARRIE —
The Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit has declared two new outbreaks at long-term care facilities in Barrie.

One staff member has tested positive at both Woods Park Care Centre and IOOF Seniors Homes Inc. (Odd Fellow & Rebekah Long Term Care Home) in Barrie. Each facility houses about 170 residents.

“Each of them has a staff member who has tested positive, so we’re investigating to see if there are any other cases,” said Medical Officer of Health, Dr. Charles Gardner, on Wednesday.

He added that it’s too early to tell whether any residents have been infected or exposed to the virus.

“The safety of our residents and staff remains our highest priority,” says Garry Hopkins, IOOF CEO. “The IOOF implemented strict measures early-on in the pandemic to ensure all infection control protocols were in place to contain the spread of COVID-19. We want to assure residents and their families that we will continue to take all precautions necessary to keep them safe.”

Officials with IOOF say the healthcare worker who tested positive is in isolation, recovering at home and has not come into the facility since developing symptoms late last week.

IOOF officials also say the health unit will coordinate testing on all residents and staff at the long-term care home.

Meanwhile, the SMDHU has confirmed a new total of 218 cased of COVID-19 in the region, with half having recovered. Twelve people remain in hospital, and 15 people have died, including seven residents at the Bradford Valley Care Community.

All residents and staff at the Bradford Valley Care Community have now been tested, and the health unit says it is working with Woods Park and IOOF to determine possible exposure and infection.

“Certainly, if you get transmission in those facilities, the likelihood of having deaths is very high, so we continue to work very forcefully on that front,” says Dr. Gardner.

Dr. Gardner also says while infection rates appear to be levelling off, if people ease off physical distancing and self-isolation, we could experience another wave of community transmission.